Metamorphosis

Chapter 2: Changes

Chloe’s friends were asking questions at school the next morning.
“What’s it feel like?” Rebecca asked.
“Chloe shrugged.” It kind of hurts down here.” She rubbed her abdomen.
Teresa ran up to Chloe. “Your grandma asked everyone to pray for your mom last night at church. I heard she’s real sick.”
“I don’t know. She told me she more tests before she knows—“
“Well, my mom said she is terminal, so that means she is dying.”
Rebecca pushed her. “Shut up, Teresa! Don’t say that.”
Teresa pushed back. “ I’m just repeating what I heard. Anyway, my grandma says God is punishing her for having a baby without being married and stuff.”
Chloe held back tears. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Teresa. My dad died in the war, so shut up.”
“Yeah, Teresa. Stop causing trouble.” Rebecca chimed in.
“I’m not. You just ask your mom about it. My grandma said she remembers when you were born and your mom and dad weren’t married, and your mom went off to live somewhere else for a whole year and came back with a baby. Even the ladies at the beauty parlor were talking about it. I heard them.”
“Well, then why isn’t God punishing your dad? I hear the same women in the beauty shop talking about him” Chloe stopped herself. She remembered what her grandma told her about gossiping. “God, please help me keep my mouth shut and walk away,” she said under her breath.
“What, Chloe? You got something to say about my family? Just say it out loud!”
The bell rang. Rebecca grabbed Chloe’s hand and pulled her toward the classroom.
Chloe sat in class staring out the window, thinking about what Teresa had said. It just couldn’t be true, she thought. She felt nauseous but wasn’t sure if it was the curse or the terrible thoughts of God punishing her mother that was making her feel ill. She jumped up and ran to the restroom.
Rebecca followed her. She knocked on the stall door. “You okay in there?”
“I feel sick. Tell Mrs. Hertz I’m going to the nurse, okay.”
“Sure, Chlo.”
Chloe flushed the toilet and went to the nurse’s office.
“What’s wrong today, little lady?” Nurse Regina asked.
“I threw up. I’m not feeling well.”
“Okay, park it right there.” She pointed to a chair. “I’ll call someone to come pick you up.”
A few minutes later, Chloe sat on the bench waiting for her Grandma.
On the ride home, Chloe was quiet thinking about her parents and wondering did she really know everything about her dad. After all, he did die before she was born.
Grandma saw the distraught look on her granddaughter’s face, but she didn’t pry. She’ll come to me when she’s ready, she thought.
Chloe got out of the car and went to her room. Grandma brought her some broth and crackers. “Here, sweetie. This will settle your stomach. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.” She leaned down and kissed Chloe’s forehead. “Get some rest, okay?”
She nibbled the crackers and sipped some broth, but the questions and worry wouldn’t go away. She had to know if Teresa was right. She slid off her bed and made her way into the kitchen. “Grandma?” She said quietly.
Chloe pulled the bench away from the kitchen table and sat down. She opened her mouth to ask Grandma about her mom, but her voice cracked.
Grandma turned from the sink of dirty dishes, a sudsy plate in her hand. “You feeling okay, baby girl?”
She nodded her head and played with a loose string hanging from the edge of the place mat.
The plates clanked as Grandma added another clean one to the rack. Chloe felt Grandma turn and look her way, but continued to play with string, fraying the edge of the place mat.
Grandma dried her hands on her apron and sat down next to her granddaughter.
“Chloe, honey? You can tell ol’ Grandma anything. You know that, right?” She placed her fingers under Chloe's chin and lifted her head.
She nodded, but couldn’t speak. Her throat ached. You know that kind of ache when you are about to bawl and don’t want to? You hold it in, and it hurts until it’s set free.
“You want to talk about your Momma? You overheard, didn’t you?” She brushed Chloe's long, red hair back and placed it behind her ear.
Chloe nodded, took a deep breath, and just spit it out. “What did she do wrong, Grandma?”
Grandma’s lowered her brow, waiting for more words to erupt.
She swung her leg around and straddled the bench, braced herself with her arms, and gazed downward. “Teresa said Momma is dying 'cause God is punishing her.” A stream of warm tears broke free. “What bad thing did she do?”
Grandma wiped the tears from Chloe's cheeks with her thumbs. “Why, your Mom hasn’t done a thing! She just got sick and that is all. Hasn’t all these years attending church taught you that all good things come from God? Not bad.”
She managed a broken, “Yes,” between sniffles.
“Don’t ever think bad about your Mom. She is a child of God.”
“Then why her? Why does she have to die and leave us?”
“You know there is more to life than what’s here on earth.”
Chloe nodded again and wiped her eyes.
“You can’t think about death as an end, ‘cause sweetie, it’s only a new beginning.” She took her granddaughter's hands and smiled. “Our time here, on earth, is limited because it’s a time of learning and growing. We’re all kinda like caterpillars in a cocoon, growing, maturing, and then one day, when God thinks we’re ready, we can emerge a new and beautiful creature.”
Chloe gazed into Grandma's eyes as she spoke.
“Yes, we’re gonna miss your Momma, but God is calling her home...she’s been in her cocoon long enough. “
Chloe reached over and hugged Grandma. Grandma squeezed her back even tighter.
“You feel a little better now?” She asked, patting her back.
“Kind of, but I still don’t want Momma to go.”
“Neither do I baby, neither do I.” Grandma released her grip, and Chloe swung my legs around and hopped up.
“You need to let your mom know that you overheard and talk with her.”
“I will, Grandma.”
Chloe went out and sat on the porch swing. Breathing in some fresh, spring air made her feel a bit better. Mom’s car pulled up, and she waved at her daughter.
“Hey girly, what are you doing home?” She gave Chloe a kiss on the cheek.
“I threw up at school.” She said, trying to hold back tears.
Mom put her purse down and sat beside her. “You look like something’s up. What’s wrong?”
Chloe looked down and felt ashamed for asking, but she had to. “Mom, were you and Dad ever married?”
“What brought this up, Chlo?”
“Teresa said her mom said that you were dying and being punished by God because you had me and weren’t married to Dad,” She blurted. Tears slid down her cheeks.
“Teresa is wrong, honey. I’ve never told you before because I didn’t think it was important, but your dad died before we got married. He was set to go on leave again in a few months, so we were planning the wedding.” Tears glistened in Mom’s eyes. “But he died in a helicopter crash a few days before the wedding date.”
“So, it’s true?”
“Yes, but it’s not like the gossip. I can't believe the terrible stories people will spread about someone, and then people tend to believe the worst without question. Your dad was so excited about you, and I spent some time with your grandma and grandpa Thomas until you were born. It was the best way to get away from the rumors, and we helped one another get through the loss.
Chloe’s put her arm around her and scooted her closer. “I didn’t run away. I didn’t do anything wrong or bad. We were in love and out of that came my beautiful girl. We even took your dad’s last name because that’s what he would have wanted.”
“I understand now, Mom. I knew Teresa was spreading lies. She’s always picking on other girls and talking about them behind their backs. I could’ve said what I heard about her dad and the blonde lady that works the express lane at the market, but I didn’t. I clenched my teeth and didn’t spread the gossip like Grandma taught me.”
Mom laughed. “I’m proud of you. It’s not easy to walk away and not lash out when people are being vile.” She squeezed her daughter tight. “I love you. You feel better now?”
Chloe nodded her head. “Yes, about this, but I’m still worried about you.”
“I know, sweetheart. You’ve grown up so fast, and I should have been upfront with you. The doctor said my condition is not treatable.” Her voice cracked. “I have about six months.”
“No, I can’t imagine my life without you, Mom.” Chloe held her mom and cried.
“One thing I’ve learned about life, Chloe, is it’s always changing, and you have to be strong and ask God for guidance to help with ups and downs.”
“Ok, Mom.” Chloe sniffled.
“I know it’s not easy, but we have to be strong and make the most of the time we have left."
"It's not going to be easy." Chloe squeezed her mom tight.

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